Rheinmetall Gmbh

Josef Metz

Manfred Pehker

Erich Zielinski

Hans Hulsewis

Wilfried Becker

Stefan Thiesen

Adolf Nordmann

Gert Winkler

Adolf P Bierwirth

Wolfgang Boer

Jochen Hoff

Walter Sauerwald

Wolfgang Heintz

Erich Zielisnki

Hans Hulsewies

Detlef Behrens

Edelgard Pahlke

Adolf-Peter Bierwirth

A tank turret including an armored turret housing having a front side provided with solid front armor, and a pivotally mounted gun including a cradle shield, cradle, recoil device and rearward breech block housing being arranged in the turret housing. The armored turret housing, or at least parts of it, are used to increase recoil mass of the gun.

Tank turret with increased recoil mass

An arrangement for wirelessly setting, i.e. timing, ammunition provided with a programmable fuse and disposed in a gun barrel, which arrangement does not require complicated structural measures in and at the gun barrel and is not subject to the pressure and temperature influences generated by the propelling charge gases. The arrangement includes a simple and protected data transmitting unit fastened adjacent the beach of the weapon on, e.g., the interior wall or ceiling of a turret of an armored vehicle, a holding arm fixed to the weapon cradle or directly to the rear breech housing for the weapon, a special receiving antenna on the rear cartridge base or cartridge collar of the loaded ammunition, and a free optical data transmission path between the transmitter and the antenna.

Device for setting a fuse

A gun includes a barrel arranged to execute a recoil and a counterrecoil after a shot is fired; a trunnion about which the barrel is pivotal in a vertical plane to assume an index position and firing positions situated at an angle to the index position; a case ejector for ejecting a case from the barrel during counterrecoil; and a counterrecoil blocking device for interrupting the counterrecoil as long as the barrel is in a firing position other than the index position and for allowing the counterrecoil to resume when the barrel assumes the index position, whereby case ejection by the case ejector is effected in the index position.

Counterrecoil blocking device

A hydraulic recoil brake for damping both recoil and counterrecoil of a gun barrel when used with a pneumatic recuperator on the breech ring for the gun barrel. The brake has an axially extending brake cylinder fixed to the breech ring in which are disposed a fixed fluid stream control rod, and a brake piston reciprocally axially movable relative to the control rod for resisting a flow of hydraulic fluid in said brake cylinder therepast during recoil. A piston ring which is axially reciprocally displaceable on the break piston between a first and second positions is engaged by a compression spring which elastically urges the piston ring to the second position after recoil. Brake pressure from the hydraulic fluid urges the piston ring into the first position against the force of the spring during a recoil. The piston ring has an axial bore which damps the counterrecoil by resisting a flow of hydraulic fluid therepast when the piston ring is in the second position. A face of the brake piston abuts an end of the bore to render it ineffective for damping when the piston ring is in the first position. The piston ring additionally serves to render damping by the control rod ineffective during counterrecoil by blocking connecting channels formed in the brake piston which connects brake chamber formed between the inner surface of the brake cylinder and the brake piston, and a throttle chamber between the piston rod of the brake piston and the control rod.

Gun barrel recoil brake with throttled counterrecoil

A recoil brake for a gun includes a brake cylinder in which a piston is slidably arranged. As the piston moves when urged by the recoiling mass, it displaces fluid through a narrow flow cross section to thus brake the recoiling mass. The piston rod and the brake cylinder define a brake chamber formed therebetween. The recoil brake is provided with a heat equalization device that includes a heat equalization chamber which is bounded by a spring-tensioned heat equalization piston. An indicator element is coupled to the heat equalization piston for detecting an operating condition (the temperature of the hydraulic fluid) of the recoil brake. The heat equalization and indication device is a self-contained, modular unit releasably connected to a rearward end of the brake cylinder and forming an axial extension thereof. The heat equalization and indication device further has an impact plate bounding the heat equalization chamber and the brake chamber.

Recoil brake for a gun having a heat equalization and indication device

A recoil brake for controlling recoil and counterrecoil movements of a gun includes a brake cylinder; a piston slidably received therein; a hollow piston rod affixed to the piston and arranged for connection to a breechblock of the gun; a throttle passage for braking the motion of the piston; a buffer spear affixed to an end of the brake cylinder and extending within the hollow piston coaxially therewith; and a buffer spear chamber within the piston rod; a throttle sleeve affixed to the piston and extending therewithin, surrounding the buffer spear. The throttle sleeve and the piston rod define an annular inlet channel, while the throttle sleeve and the buffer spear define an annular outlet channel. A check valve is located between the inlet and outlet channels, and it opens solely in response to pressure in the inlet channel when the piston moves in a direction outwardly of the brake cylinder (recoil movement). An axially extending throttle groove is provided in the outer surface of the buffer spear. Further, there is provided an annular guide which is formed on the throttle sleeve and which surrounds and slidingly contacts the buffer spear. The annular guide cooperates with the throttle groove for forming a constricted passage for the hydraulic fluid as it flows from the buffer spear chamber through the outlet channel to one side of the piston as the piston moves into the brake cylinder (counterrecoil movement). Cross-sectional passage areas of the throttle groove along a length thereof determine the extent and the path length of the braking effect for the counterrecoil movement of the gun.

Recoil brake for a gun

A turret gun assembly includes a turret, a gun having a barrel being adjustable in inclination about a trunnion axis, a magazine for accommodating rounds of ammunition, and a loading device for advancing rounds of ammunition from the magazine into a position behind the barrel in a longitudinal alignment therewith. The improvement wherein the loading device has a cam drive having a cam track mounted at an ammunition discharge location of the magazine and a follower guided in the cam track; a transfer arm mounted for pivotal motion about the trunnion axis; an ammunition-gripping holding clamp articulated to the transfer arm by a hinge connection and being arranged for gripping said ammunition. The transfer arm is rotated about the trunnion axis for causing the follower--which is coupled to the holding clamp--to slide within the cam track to rotate the holding clamp and the round of ammunition about the hinge connection and to simultaneously swing the holding clamp and the ammunition gripped thereby, about the trunnion axis to position the gripped ammunition into longitudinal alignment with the barrel.

Automatic loading device for a gun

A recoil brake 10 for a gun includes a cylinder 11 and a piston 12 which is slidably mounted in cylinder 11, with braking force being supplied when piston 12 is extracted by the recoil movement of the gun barrel and presses hydraulic fluid through a narrow flow cross section. In order to be able to accommodate the recoil brake in an area protected against enemy fire or shrapnel, even if space is cramped, the structural length of the recoil brake is reduced by including a further piston rod in the form of a hollow cylinder which is disposed within cylinder 11 so as to coaxially surround the first piston rod 12. This second piston rod 13 is extracted only after the first piston rod 12 has reached its maximum extended position.

Recoil brake

The invention relates to an ammunition rack for vertically storing cartridge ammunition in the ready room of the loader on the turret platform of a tank and removing the ammunition therefrom; the rack having a stay tube for centering the cartridge base and a clamping device for fastening the projectile. The clamping device can be pivoted upwardly around a turret fixed pivot by way of a holding lever upon removal of the projectile after the clamping device has been released and the ammunition unit has been removed therefrom.

Ammunition rack for vertically standing cartridge ammunition

The invention relates to an automatic loader for an armored vehicle having a rotatable turret adapted to feed vertically stored projectiles from a storage magazine into the loading chamber of a large caliber weapon from which it can be inserted into the gun barrel by means of a rammer. The arrangement of the invention provides a rapid transporting of the vertically stored ammunition from a space saving storage position to a loaded ready to fire position. The automatic loader of the invention includes an automatically driven endless ammunition magazine at least partially mounted within a predetermined outer elevation of the turret and within a predetermined inner elevation region of the vehicle trough. This magazine is separated from the personnel chamber of the armored vehicle by means of armored walls and includes a loading tray which is connected to a feeder for pivotally transporting a vertically stored projectile into a loading position from which it can be slid into the gun barrel of the weapon by means of the rammer. The loading tray functions as a partial ammunition container of the ammunition magazine as well as a feeder for the projectile. The magazine is independently rotatable with respect to the rotatable turret by means of a roller bearing.

Automatic loader for an armored vehicle having a rotatable turret

A cannon barrel assembly has a barrel member centered on and extending along a barrel axis, a barrel tube member generally coaxially surrounding the barrel and having a pair of axially opposite tube muzzle and breech ends, and respective muzzle and breech bearings at the tube ends axially displaceably supporting the barrel member therein. At least one of the bearings comprises two lower and one upper segmental slide elements generally angularly equispaced about the axis and radially set in one of the members against axial displacement therein. The two lower elements are also set in the one member against radial displacement therein while the upper element is limitedly radially displaceable in the one member. Springs braced between the one member and the upper slide element urge same radially against the other member in surface contact therewith and thereby urge the two lower slide elements in surface contact against the other member also.

Cannon with longitudinally shiftable barrel

The invention relates to an automatic loader for an armored vehicle having a rotatable turret adapted to feed vertically stored projectiles from a storage magazine into the loading chamber of a large caliber weapon from which it can be inserted into the gun barrel by means of a rammer. The arrangement of the invention provides a rapid transporting of the vertically stored ammunition from a space saving storage position to a loaded ready to fire position. The automatic loader of the invention includes an automatically driven endless ammunition magazine at least partially mounted within the outer elevation a of the turret and within the inner elevation region b of the vehicle trough. This magazine is separated from the personnel chamber of the armored vehicle by means of armored walls and includes a loading tray which is connected to a feeder for pivotally transporting a vertically stored projectile into a loading position from which it can be slid into the gun barrel of the weapon by means of the rammer. The loading tray functions as a partial ammunition container of the ammunition magazine as well as a feeder for the projectile. The magazine is independently rotatable with respect to the rotatable turret by means of a roller bearing.

An automatic loading arrangement of a gun barrel weapon. An ammunition holder is provided having a portion which is adapted to be pivotally connected to another ammunition holder and so on to form a band magazine, for the purpose of holding thin-walled cartridged ammunition units, preferably tank and armored vehicle ammunition having a combustible casing, which ammunition can be transported and guided to a loading tray or chamber without being damaged by outside influences, for example travel shocks, vibrations, etc. The ammunition holder has a semi-circular arcuately shaped tray adapted to conform with the shape of the cartridged ammunition, which tray has a small inner diameter region to matingly receive the projectile head and a relatively larger inner diameter region adapted to matingly receive the cartridge bottom. Pivotally mounted holding clamps are mounted in the small and large inner diameter regions so as to encompass the ammunition at a longitudinal side thereof, which holding clamps includes corresponding opening and closing mechanisms which are adapted to be connected to each other via formlocking means. The formlocking means coact with the opening and closing mechanism and an ammunition expeller for purposes to provide, on the one hand, a uniform joint opening of the holding clamps and an ammunition sparing unloading process, as well as, on the other hand, a mutual independent reverse stroke of the holding clamps so that the thin-walled cartridged ammunition can be held in a soft-locking safety position in the ammunition holder in a radial play-free manner when exterior disturbing influences occur.

Ammunition and magazine for an automatic loading arrangement

A pneumatic recuperator mechanism has a sealable valve which communicates a storage chamber with a displacement chamber; the mechanism includes a recoil piston which is connected to the gun barrel and is slidable jointly with a piston rod; the mechanism is improved in such a way, that with a predetermined built-in cross section a simple and light recuperator mechanism with a high heat-free operative readiness is formed. This object is achieved in that the displacement chamber 1 and the storage chamber 2 have the same inner diameter d and are arranged within only one cylinder 3, whereby the recoil piston 5 and the valve 6 are slidably received by the inner wall 4 of the cylinder 3. The valve 6 is advantageously in the shape of a disc and the recoil piston 5 is offset relative thereto. The valve 6 as well as the recoil piston 5 are provided with wear-resistant and delay-free seals 18, 24, 36 and guide bands 7, 23. The arrangement of the recoil piston 5 and the valve 6 permit a lower operative pressure level of the pneumatic working medium with a higher delay-free operative readiness.

Pneumatic recuperator mechanism for a gun barrel

A hydraulic recoil brake system for braking the recoil of a gun barrel during and after the firing traverse period. The system includes a hydraulic cylinder in which a hollow piston and piston rod are reciprocally mounted in the cylinder. The piston rod is connected to the gun barrel. A regulating throttling mandrel is fixedly mounted in the cylinder and axially extends into the hollow piston and hollow cylinder. The piston and cylinder are constructed and shaped in such a way that at least two flow passages F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 are defined. While the first flow passage F.sub.1 is present during the entire recoil movement the second flow passage F.sub.2 is present only during the firing traverse period. The second flow passage F.sub.2 extends from a first inner partial chamber disposed in front of the recoiling piston to a second partial inner chamber disposed behind the recoiling piston.

Growing community of inventors

Neuss, Germany

Josef Metz